AEG, Japan’s Creativeman Enter Strategic Partnership

On August 11, AEG Presents announced that it had entered into a strategic partnership with Japan’s Creativeman Productions, a leading concert promoter, thus increasing AEG Present’s involvement in Japan’s lucrative live entertainment business. According to an AEG press release, the two companies “will work together to create new opportunities for artists to connect with audiences throughout Japan, while continuing to elevate the fan experience and support the country’s vibrant live music market.” The partnership will also give a considerable boost to AXS, AEG Presents’ ticketing company.

Naoki Shimizu, the CEO of Creativeman, said in a statement, “Over the past 37 years, Creativeman has grown from a company with just two staff members to become the largest independent music promoter in Asia. This partnership with AEG Presents will propel our growth as we expand our festivals and artists from Japan to Asia and the rest of the world.” Shimizu specifically pointed out that the new arrangement would “connect Summer Sonic,” Creativeman’s signature summer music festival, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this weekend, “with a portfolio of world-class festivals and create a network that joins Coachella in the U.S. and BST Hyde Park in the U.K., serving as a cornerstone for the music industry’s growth.”

Shawn Trell, executive vice president and COO of AEG Presents, added, “Creativeman is an important presence in Japan and across the region. [Its] vision and business strategy align perfectly with ours. Beyond Creativeman’s thriving concert and festival business, Summer Sonic has become a globally recognized brand on its own.”

Creativeman, in fact, organizes more than a dozen music festivals throughout the year in Japan, including Punkspring, Loud Park and the Greenroom Festival, and has begun expanding the Summer Sonic brand to other Asian cities like Bangkok. It has also been instrumental in exposing Japanese audiences to major artists from other parts of Asia. 

In 2012, Creativeman entered into a joint venture with Live Nation Entertainment Inc. to form Live Nation Japan. Currently, Live Nation is working with a different Japanese promoter, H.I.P.